Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrey Sibiga said that Moscow and Kiev still cannot agree on the appointment of a "patron". According to the Geneva Conventions, this is the name given to a state which, with the consent of both parties to the conflict, helps them conduct a dialogue for the protection of civilians. This was reported by the BBC.
According to Sibiga, Ukraine has already received "several proposals" by countries that wanted to act as patrons. "On two proposals, we have already received a refusal from the aggressor state (ie from Russia - Ed.)", said the deputy minister, quoted by the "Ukrinform" agency.
Sibiga did not specify which countries were discussed as candidates.
In April, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said that in Russia's war against Ukraine, a patron power should appear "this very year".
According to the Geneva Conventions, representatives of the protecting power have the right, among other things, to visit all places where nationals protected by international law are located, to assess living conditions in occupied territories or in detention and to ensure the conduct of humanitarian operations.